Jabuka (operetta)
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Jabuka |
| Shape: | operetta |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Johann Strauss (son) |
| Libretto : | Gustav Davis and Max Kalbeck |
| Premiere: | October 12, 1894 |
| Place of premiere: | Vienna |
| Place and time of the action: | In the Serbian part of southern Hungary at the end of the 19th century |
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Jabuka is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss (son) . The work is also known under the title The Apple Festival . The libretto is by Gustav Davis and Max Kalbeck. The premiere took place on October 12, 1894 in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. Strauss composed this work for his own 50th anniversary as a musician (he first performed publicly with his orchestra in 1844).
History and reception
Research assumes that Johann Strauss has been interested in the Slavic theme since 1892, after which he was inspired by Bedřich Smetana's opera The Bartered Bride . There were two authors for the libretto, Max Kahlbeck was responsible for the general plot, while Gustav Davis wrote the lyrics. Soon there was an argument between the two. While Kahlbeck tried to lead the composer in the direction of opera, Davis tried to prevent it and to remain true to the form of the operetta. Strauss also suffered from this conflict. The result was a work with a weak libretto and, musically speaking, a hybrid between opera and operetta. The musical value of the work was assessed differently from the start. The couplets sung by Alexander Girardi at the first performances were considered a success. The conductor of the CD recording mentioned below, Christian Pollack, considers at least the ensembles and choirs of the work to be among the best works by Johann Strauss. Other critics expressed doubts about the musical quality of the work at the premiere. The first performance of the operetta was a great success, but the audience received the second performance much more cautiously. Ultimately, the work could not match the successes of other Strauss operettas such as B. Linking up with the bat or the gypsy baron . It soon disappeared from the game boards.
action
The brothers Mirko and Vasil live in the Gradinaz community in southern Serbia. You got into financial trouble. To solve these problems, they offer the factory owner Bambora their old, run-down and partially dilapidated castle for sale. Soon the bailiff, Joschko, appears, and the two brothers now fear that by seizing the castle, he could also prevent the castle from being sold. In the meantime, farmer Mischa appears, who is on the way to the apple festival in Ravica, but got stuck in Gradinaz due to a car breakdown. He is accompanied by his daughter Jelka, who is supposed to act as the beauty queen at the apple festival. Mirko flirts with Jelka, but she rejects him. Then Mirko forged a plan how he could still win Jelka. He manages to use the bailiff for his own purposes. He is supposed to drive up with his car and supposedly bring Jelka to the apple festival in Ravica. In reality, however, she is brought to Mirko's estate. A festival is now being arranged there and Jelka is played, saying that she is at the festival in Ravica as planned. At first everything goes according to plan. But then Joschko reveals the plan. Jelka and her father are upset and want to leave immediately. But then Joschko manages to make up for his mistake. He can successfully mediate between the parties and then Mirko and Jelka become a couple. But that's not all. Mirko's brother becomes engaged to the daughter of the factory owner, who agrees to this relationship. The planned marriage into the family of the wealthy factory owner also solved the brothers' financial problems. You celebrate a new festival and everything ends with a happy ending, as is the operetta tradition.
Music numbers
The following music tracks from the operetta can be heard on the Naxos CD mentioned below, which, according to the information in the booklet, come from the composer's original score:
- Introduction: Jabuka is celebrated today (Staklo, choir)
- Trio with choir: You boys and servants, hello make way! (Mirko, Vasil, Staklo, Chor)
- Couplet: I am known throughout the country (Joschko)
- Sextet: Zivio, Zivio! Let the glasses ring! (Mirko, Joschko, Franjo, Annita, Vasil, Bambora)
- Ensemble: Help, Help! You people here (Jelka, Petrija, Mischa, Staklo)
- Ensemble: What do I see? (Jelka, Petrija, Mirko, Mischa, Joschko, Staklo)
- Duet: In vain for me to peek, the place is deserted! (Jelka, Mirko)
- Finale I: Out there! Out! Closer woman and man (all)
- Introduction (to the 2nd act): Outside there is cheering and dancing far and wide (Sava, Mirko, choir)
- Duet: Once upon a time, once upon a time in fairy tales only (Annita, Vasil)
- Quintet: So I ask, just come in (Joschka, Jelkam, Sava, Petrija, Mirko)
- Couplet: As the chronicles report (Joschko, Annita, Mirko, Vasil, Bombora)
- Finale II: Closer, closer just come! (All)
- Entr'acte (interlude to the 3rd act)
- Ensemble and song: So cheeky to disturb our Plaisir (Bambora, Mischa, choir)
- Couplet: The bad times are over now ... The Comitat is going up (Joschko)
- Song: Tell me (female choir, Jelka)
- Quartet: See the sun go down in splendor (Jelka, Mirko, Annita, Vasil)
- Finale III: Whether luck also makes us wait (all)
Musical re-use
Independent works by the composer were then created based on motifs from this operetta, which are marked in his catalog raisonné with the opus numbers 455 to 460. These are the following works:
- I am good to you! , Waltz, Opus 455, dedicated to Julie Kahlbeck, the wife of Max Kahlbeck the fellow librettist
- Živio! , March, Opus 456 *
- The Comitat is going up! , Fast Polka, Opus 457 *
- Dance with the broomstick , Polka francaise, Opus 458 *
- Sunflower , Polka Mazurka, Opus 459 *
- Jabuka Quadrille , Opus 460 *
The marked numbers were arranged by Kapellmeister Louis Roth and the original was only produced as a piano reduction. An orchestral version was created by Christian Pollack for the complete recording of the orchestral works by Johann Strauss (son) on 52 CDs (published by the Naxos label).
Sound carrier
In 2007 the Naxos label released a recording of the operetta on 2 CDs. The European Johann Strauss Orchestra and the Gaudeamus Choir Brno played and sang under the direction of Christian Pollack . As soloists u. a. Thomas Tischler, Wolfgang Veith, Michael Schober, Veronika Groiss , Elisabeth Wolfbauer and many more.
literature
- Peter Kemp: The Strauss Family: History of a Musician Dynasty. Heyne Biographien, ISBN 3-453-04621-8 , pp. 267-268.